An Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo spreads to two additional health zones, according to the government data cited by multiple outlets. The new zones bring the total number of affected health areas to 60, described as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.
Several reports identify the newly affected zones as Biena and Manguredjipa in North Kivu province. Congo’s Ministry of Health figures cited in coverage also indicate a case fatality rate higher than the overall 48% in North Kivu, with explanations including delays in response efforts. Other outlets add context on the outbreak’s scale and pace, citing 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths.
Coverage also highlights difficult conditions affecting control efforts, including insecurity, displacement, intense population movements, and a strike by health workers. Al Jazeera and others note the World Health Organization’s assessment that the outbreak is out of control and could surpass the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 people. Reports also mention the start of vaccination efforts for health workers.
